Page 35 of Wild Card (Foster Bro Code #2)

Axel

“I’m so glad you called!” Allison’s voice echoed through the speaker of my phone, which was propped on the dinner table. “Emory told me you would.”

I rolled my eyes. “He did, huh?”

Emory half turned from his spot at the sink, smiling sheepishly. “I figured it couldn’t hurt to get the ball rolling.”

We’d just finished up dinner, and Gray and Bailey lounged on the sofa with Banshee, while Holden had retreated to his room.

“Emory believes in you,” Allison said from the phone, “so that means I do too. I’ve submitted some grant applications for animal rescue funding. But I’d love for us to get together and talk more. It’s important that we pursue a project that’s a good fit for you.”

“I’d get a say in that? I figured the grant would dictate it.”

“To an extent, it does,” she said. “But there’s more than one way to skin a cat, as they say.”

“Let’s not say that,” I said.

She laughed. “Yeah, probably poor etiquette when talking about animal rescue.”

Allison launched into the details of the grant applications, and I did my best to keep up. I didn’t want to manage some big facility. That was out right away. I didn’t want to specialize in any particular breed or size of dog; I loved them all.

Finally, we settled on the one grant that came closest to my experience. It would give me resources to take in and place animals in good foster homes. I’d need to get volunteers on board, but there was funding to cover pet veterinary visits, food, and other supplies.

The shelter had told me they didn’t have the resources to make their foster program a priority. This would fill the need without totally overtaking my life. Plus, I could foster these animals without putting them into cages at the shelter first.

Win-win.

“You’ll just need to come in and sign some paperwork,” Allison said. “I’ll get the app updated with your information. It’ll make our case stronger to have a project manager all lined up.”

Project manager. Me?

Nerves squirmed in my gut, but I couldn’t back out a second time. I didn’t want to, not when this needed to be done. I loved the animals I could help now, but with this program, I could help so many more.

I drew a breath. “Okay, sounds good.”

A text popped up on my screen from Dalton. Allison was wrapping up the call, so I said goodbye and checked my message.

Dalton:

Are you with your brothers or at home? Need to talk to you.

Axel:

With my bros. What’s up?

Dalton:

I’ll be there in two minutes. Come outside? This is more of a private conversation.

My stomach tumbled. That couldn’t be good, could it?

“Axel, you okay?” Emory said. “I thought you’d be happy to be doing this?”

“Huh?” I glanced up to see Emory watching me with concern. Gray glanced over from the couch.

“Yeah, I’m happy. Dalton just texted me, and…” I stood abruptly. “I need to go talk to him. I think I fucked up or something.”

“What did you do?”

“I don’t know.” I grimaced. “Probably something stupid.”

“Aw, I doubt that,” Emory said. “You’ll talk it out.”

“Don’t have much choice,” I grumbled, heading for the door.

Sugar and Taz hopped up and followed me outside. Banshee didn’t budge.

I stepped out onto the porch, and Dalton pulled up in his car a minute later. He was still in uniform but driving his Buick Regal.

“What’s going on?” I said. “Thought you had work.”

“I quit.”

My jaw dropped. “Seriously? I know Hale is an asshole, but I didn’t think you’d want to give up law enforcement.”

He joined me on the porch and settled a hip against the railing. “No, I don’t want to do that,” he agreed. “But I can’t keep going like this either.” He wet his lips. “I told the mayor what’s been going on. He wants to help.”

“That’s good, then.”

Dalton continued to look conflicted.

“Right?” I asked.

“Yeah,” he said. “It’s the best option for now.”

Silence drew out. Tension with it. I got the sense this conversation wasn’t over. As much as I’d worried Dalton might be pissed at me, this seemed worse.

“You’re not really going to give up your job, are you?” I burst out. “You’re a good deputy. You’ve got morals. We need that, you know? Hale is a dick, and you don’t deserve to put up with him, but can you really live with washing your hands of it all?”

“No, I don’t think I can,” he said softly, eyes searching mine.

What was he looking for?

“I don’t get it,” I said. “Is there something you’re not telling me?”

He blew out a breath and pushed off the railing to come closer. He cupped my shoulders in his hands. “Axel, you know how hard I’ve been pushing for us to date. I care about you.”

I wet my dry lips. “Yeah.”

“So, the thing is…” He sucked in a breath. I waited for the other shoe to drop. I didn’t know what it would be, but I knew there’d be one.

“I think I have to run for sheriff,” he said.

“Oh.”

“I didn’t want to because I’m not sheriff material,” he said. “I let my partner die on my watch, for fuck’s sake. I can’t think of a worse candidate, except maybe Hale, but everyone’s looking to me to step up.”

I shook my head. “Dalton, that’s why you’d make a great sheriff. Most people make excuses or look for ways to dodge responsibility. But you carry the burden of your partner’s death because you care so much.”

“That’s not saying much,” Dalton said. “I let him die.”

“I doubt you let anything happen,” I said. “I’m sure you did everything you could to stop it. To save him. You’re not the type to stand by and let things happen. If you were, you wouldn’t have quit your job. You wouldn’t be talking about running for sheriff.”

“He wasn’t supposed to be there,” Dalton said, his tone anguished. “We were supposed to stick to protocol and stay together, but we weren’t sure which way the perp went. There was this fence, and he was younger and faster, so I let him go over it while I checked the alley.

“I should have ordered him to hang back and stick with me,” he continued, “but I wanted the collar. It was stupid. I got complacent, and my partner took a bullet in the chest because of it. He died there on the pavement. Bled out in a parking lot because I wasn’t there to protect him.”

“Oh, baby.” I drew his head down onto my shoulder. “It’s not your fault.”

“It is,” he choked out. “I fucked up. If I’d gone over the fence too?—”

“Then you might be dead,” I said harshly.

Dalton drew back, a startled look on his face.

“That’s not a better outcome, Dalton. Not to me. Not when I?—”

I stopped short, biting back my words. I took a breath. “Not when I’d have never gotten to meet you. To really know you.”

“He had a wife. A baby.”

I raised my hand to Dalton’s cheek. “That’s tragic. Really tragic. But you can’t take this all on yourself. You didn’t shoot him. You did your job the best you could.”

“It wasn’t good enough.”

“So do better, then!” I snapped.

His eyes widened. “Wh-what?”

“If you want to make up for what happened with your partner, then you have to do better. Be better. Make sure you’re the best damn sheriff and your deputies are as safe as they can be. That they understand the risks, that they have the resources they need for their job.”

“Yeah,” he rasped. “Yeah, you’re right.”

“I’m not saying you shouldn’t remember your partner or care what happened…”

“No, I know. I’ll never forget.”

“You shouldn’t,” I said softly. “But you also shouldn’t let it hold you back.”

“But if I run for sheriff, it won’t only affect me,” he said. “Things will change, you know? This impacts you, too, because…”

He trailed off, but I could fill in the blanks. I wasn’t the ideal boyfriend to help someone win an election. Even if he won, the sheriff couldn’t be cavorting with the asshole who got tossed into jail for brawling or gambling. It wouldn’t be a good look.

The sinking sensation in my gut was all too familiar. The inevitability of loss. I’d always known Dalton was too good for me. Too good to stay.

I couldn’t ask him to choose me. Not when he’d regret letting down his colleagues, his town. I couldn’t be that selfish.

“I guess things will have to change, then,” I said quietly. “This is what you need to do. Don’t you think?”

“Yeah.” He brought me in for a kiss. “Thank you for understanding.”

“Of course.”

He glanced down at his clothes and cringed.

“I should go home and change out of this uniform. I need to call the mayor and tell him the news. The sooner, the better, I think. Oh, and I should call Chloe and Ava. They’ll want to know too.

And my family!” He gave a laugh. “I’ve been dragging my feet, so unsure, but you’ve made it so much easier.

I feel so relieved now that I’ve decided to go ahead.

It’s the right thing to do. I feel it in my gut. ”

I nodded, feeling numb.

“Thanks, darlin’.” He kissed me again, this one fast but joyful. It was as if a huge weight had sloughed off him. Had I really done that? If I had, I’d taken that weight and put it across my shoulders, because my knees were about to buckle.

“I could come back over later?” Dalton suggested.

“No,” I said quickly, still reeling from the quick turn of events. “Focus on what you need to do. I’ve got plans with my brothers, anyway.”

“Okay, I’ll give you an update soon.” He turned and jogged down the steps to his car. He turned, gazing at me over the roof. “You know, Ax, you have everyone fooled.”

“Do I?”

“You care about right and wrong a lot more than you pretend,” he said. “Tonight, I’m a better man because of you.”

He got in the car and drove off. I stood on the porch, watching him, wondering when the hell right and wrong had started mattering to me.

Probably somewhere around the time I’d gotten involved with a fucking lawman.

I went inside, and my face must have said it all because Gray and Bailey jumped to their feet.

“What happened?”

I slumped against the wall, then slowly slid toward the floor. Sugar and Taz both climbed into my lap, whining and licking my chin. I should soothe them, but I couldn’t seem to focus.

“I’ve lost him.”

“What?” Emory said. “That can’t be right. I’ve seen how he looks at you.”